Infographic: LinkedIn Passes 1 Billion Endorsements

If you've been on LinkedIn lately, you might have noticed people giving and getting so-called "endorsements."

If you've been on LinkedIn lately, you might have noticed people giving and getting so-called "endorsements." Rolled out last fall, the feature lets members vouch for another user's proficiency of certain skills like business development, project management, or blogging.

LinkedIn today announced a new milestone for the feature — in less than six months, users have given out one billion endorsements for skills ranging from Visual C++ (the first endorsement) to water treatment (the billionth). LinkedIn is essentially building a bank of experts with these endorsements, so users can quickly find someone who specializes in anything from wine to negotiation, a spokeswoman told PCMag.com.

"Skill endorsements are a great way to help build your professional brand, in fact you're four times more likely to be viewed on LinkedIn if you've been endorsed," LinkedIn associate product manager Peter Rusev wrote in a blog post Wednesday.

Despite LinkedIn's enthusiasm about the feature, however, some have criticized endorsements as being essentially meaningless. Many users have reported getting endorsements from individuals with whom they've never even worked and who have no knowledge of their skills.

Whether or not you think endorsements have any value, they have been a huge success for LinkedIn. Since launch, members have generously handed out 50 million endorsements per week, LinkedIn said. More than 18 million people have given endorsements, and over 58 million people have been endorsed for their skills and expertise.

The No. 1 endorsed skill to date is strategic planning, followed by customer service, Microsoft Office, project management, and recruiting. For more, check out the infographic below.

Angela has been a PCMag reporter since January 2012. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a reporter for SC Magazine, covering everything related to hackers and computer security. Angela has also written for The Northern Valley Suburbanite in New Jersey, The Dominion Post in West Virginia, and the Uniontown-Herald Standard in Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of West Virginia University's Perely Isaac Reed School of Journalism.
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